US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with a regional passenger jet in Washington DC was flying too high at the time of the crash, making what appeared to be a major disclosure about the investigation.
US military helicopters routinely fly over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport along a designated route known as Route 4. For safety reasons, these flights are restricted to an altitude of 200 feet (61 metres).
“The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200-foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The crash, which resulted in the deaths of 67 people, remains under investigation by federal transportation authorities. An Army official, speaking anonymously, urged patience as the investigation continues.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged that altitude may have been a factor but said it was too early to draw conclusions.
“We’re looking at altitude, and the president was clear about that: someone was at the wrong altitude. The investigation will help us understand that. Was the Black Hawk too high, was it on course? Right now, we don’t quite know,” he told Fox News on Friday before Trump’s remarks.
Hegseth and the Army have confirmed that the Black Hawk’s three-member crew were experienced soldiers. The designated pilot in command, an instructor, had 1,000 flight hours, while the other pilot had 500. The third crew member was a crew chief, typically positioned in the back of the helicopter.
The helicopter was from the 12th Aviation Battalion, based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. This unit is responsible for helicopter operations in the Washington, DC, area and regularly transports senior US government officials.
Todd Inman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board, said investigators were informed that the Black Hawk likely had a flight recorder on board. However, as a military aircraft, it was unclear whether it was a combined data and voice recorder.
“But we are told that there is one on board. We have not retrieved it yet, but we feel comfortable knowing where it’s at,” Inman told CNN.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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